Letter from President Roosevelt to Governor Sparks

President
Roosevelt was upset at the request to involve the national military
in a local dispute. He sent the following message to Governor Sparks:

Washington,
D.C. Dec. 17th, 1907

Hon. John
Sparks,Governor of Nevada

Goldfield, Nevada

I sent the troops at
your request because from the tenor of your telegram and from the representations
made me by the two senators from Nevada and the members of the lower house
of Congress from Nevada, it appeared that an insurrection was imminent
against which the state authorities would be powerless. The troops
have now been in Goldfield ten days and no insurrection has occurred and
seemingly no circumstances exist to justify your call on me for action
by the troops under the provisions of the Constitution. The troops
were sent to Goldfield to be ready to meet a grave emergency which seemed
likely at once to arise and not to provide a substitute for the exercise
by the State of its police function. I do not feel at liberty to
leave them indefinitely under such circumstances that they will in effect
be performing on the part of the United States those ordinary duties of
maintaining the public order in that State of Nevada which rest upon the
State government. As the legislature of Nevada has not been convened
I am bound to assume that the powers already vested in the peace officers
of that State are adequate and that if they choose to do so they can maintain
order themselves. Under these circumstances unless there be forthwith
further cause shown to justify keeping the troops at Goldfield I shall
direct that they return to their former station.